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science
Scientists on Earth use high-energy protons to make isotopes to detect and treat cancer
.
In space, however, these same high-energy protons pose a threat
to the health of spacecraft and the astronauts who ride on them.
These risks mean that the spacecraft must be shielded
.
Unfortunately, scientists are highly uncertain
about the risks posed by these high-energy protons.
To learn more about the risks and the production of isotopes using these protons, the scientists measured the cross-section (probability)
of the high-energy proton reaction used to produce important new radiopharmaceuticals.
By measuring these cross-sections, scientists can optimize the number and purity
of medical isotopes needed to treat cancer.
These include the production of the drugs arsenic-72-HBED and gallium-68-DOTATOC
using high-energy protons from particle accelerators.
Doctors use these drugs to show where
the tumor has spread in the body.
However, high-energy protons are also a dangerous form of space radiation
.
A better understanding of their behavior and reactions could allow scientists to improve shielding designs
that protect astronauts and spacecraft electronics.
This will allow us to explore other planets in the solar system, while also helping to understand how atomic nuclei absorb and release energy
.
Researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a series of experiments
using proton beams from the Brookhaven Linac isotope generator, Los Alamos isotope production equipment, and Berkeley Lab's 88-inch cyclotron.
These experiments measured the rate at which proton bombardment of niobium and arsenic targets up to 200 MeV yielded 78 isotopes, including two radionuclides for positron emission tomography (PET) and one for monitoring the dose
of proton beams in accelerators.
The team compared large amounts of production data with predictions made using state-of-the-art nuclear reaction modeling code to explore the speed at which the energy from incoming protons propagates throughout the
nucleus when two protons collide.
The results showed that the rate of energy dissipation in the nucleus was significantly slower
than scientists had previously thought.
This reduction, in turn, leads to increased emission of additional "secondary" high-energy protons and neutrons, and also shows significantly different rates
when producing isotopes with different proton neutron ratios.
Collectively, these results provide guidance for the optimal production of two PET radionuclides and will help design the spacecraft and its crew to be protected from "secondary" particles caused by protons in cosmic radiation
.
